Abies amabilis

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Pacific silver fir
Abama-top.jpg
Pacific silver fir foliage from above
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Gymnospermae
Division: Pinophyta
Class: Pinopsida
Order: Pinales
Family: Pinaceae
Genus: Abies
Species:
A. amabilis
Binomial name
Abies amabilis
Abies amabilis range map 4.png
Range
Cone growth Abies amabilis 26395.JPG
Cone growth

Abies amabilis, commonly known as the Pacific silver fir, is a fir native to the Pacific Northwest of North America, occurring in the Pacific Coast Ranges and the Cascade Range. It is also commonly referred to in English as the white fir, red fir, lovely fir, amabilis fir, Cascades fir, or silver fir. [2] [3] The species name is Latin for 'lovely'. [2]

Contents

Description

The tree is a large evergreen conifer growing to 30–45 metres (98–148 feet), exceptionally 72 m (236 ft) tall, [2] and with a trunk diameter of up to 1.2 m (3 ft 11 in), exceptionally 2.3 m (7 ft 7 in). The bark on younger trees is light grey, thin and covered with resin blisters. [4] On older trees, it darkens and develops scales and furrows. The leaves are needle-like, flattened, 2–4.5 centimetres (341+34 in) long and 2 millimetres (116 in) wide by 0.5 mm (132 in) thick, matte dark green above, and with two white bands of stomata below, and slightly notched at the tip. [5] The leaf arrangement is spiral on the shoot, but with each leaf variably twisted at the base so they lie flat to either side of and above the shoot, with none below the shoot. The shoots are orange-red with dense velvety pubescence. The cones are 9–17 cm (3+126+34 in) long and 4–6 cm (1+122+14 in) broad, dark purple before maturity; [4] the scale bracts are short, and hidden in the closed cone. The winged seeds are released when the cones disintegrate at maturity about 6–7 months after pollination.

The tree can live to over 400 years old. [4]

Pacific silver fir is very closely related to Maries' fir A. mariesii from Japan, which is distinguished by its slightly shorter leaves—1.5–2.5 cm (58–1 in)—and smaller cones, which are 5–11 cm (2–4+14 in) long.

Distribution and ecology

The species is native to the Pacific Northwest of North America, occurring in the Pacific Coast Ranges and the Cascade Range from the extreme southeast of Alaska, through western British Columbia, Washington and Oregon, to the extreme northwest of California. It grows from sea level to 1,000 m (3,300 ft) in the north of the range, and to 610–2,000 m (2,000–6,560 ft) in the south of the range. Populations on the east slope of the Cascades are confined to elevations above 1,000 m (3,300 ft) in Washington and 1,160 m (3,810 ft) in Oregon. [6]

It is always found in temperate rainforests with relatively high precipitation and cool, humid summers. Growing in dense stands, it prospers in shade and snow. [4] Common associate trees are western hemlock in northern ranges, Douglas-fir [4] in central areas, and California buckeye in the extreme southern area of its range. [7] Western hemlock is equally shade tolerant, but Pacific silver fir saplings are more resilient of ground obstacles. [4] Though its thin bark makes it susceptible to fire, the slow-growing saplings succeed less shade-tolerant species. [4] It survives well at high elevation, but eventually succumbs to root or heart rot, in addition to diseases and insects such as Adelges piceae . [4]

Uses

Indigenous Nations, including but not limited to the Nuxalk, Haisla, and Kitasoo Nations, interacted with Abies amabilis or Silver Fir for medicinal purposes. [4] Ethnobotanist Daniel Moerman notes, for example, that Nuxalk Peoples mixed mountain goat tallow with liquid pitch to treat sore throat. An infusion of bark, by contrast, may have been used to address stomach issues. [8]

Indigenous Nations not only engaged with Abies amabilis or Silver Fir medicinally, but entered into nourishing relationships with this Plant Relation. Hardened pitch was sometimes chewed for pleasure by the Ditidaht Peoples. [8]

Seeds were not brought to England for cultivation until the 19th Century. David Douglas is responsible for transporting seed abroad in 1825. [4]

The wood is soft and not very strong; settler-colonists have thus tended to use this species for paper making, packing crates and other cheap construction work. [4] The lumber is often paired with that of western hemlock. [4]

The foliage has an attractive scent and is sometimes used for Christmas decoration, including Christmas trees.[ citation needed ]. Long before the arrival of settler-colonists, Abies amabilis or Silver Fir was admired for its scent. Ditidaht Peoples brought boughs into their home as an air freshener, whereas Nlakaʼpamux Peoples boiled boughs to create unique plant-based hair perfumes. [8]

Today, Abies amabilis or Silver Fir is sometimes planted as an ornamental tree in large parks, though its requirement for cool, humid summers limits the areas where it grows well; successful growth away from its native range is restricted to areas like western Scotland and southern New Zealand.[ citation needed ]

Related Research Articles

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The Douglas fir is an evergreen conifer species in the pine family, Pinaceae. It is native to western North America and is also known as Douglas-fir, Douglas spruce, Oregon pine, and Columbian pine. There are three varieties: coast Douglas-fir, Rocky Mountain Douglas-fir and Mexican Douglas-fir.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fir</span> Genus of plants in the conifer family Pinaceae

Firs are evergreen coniferous trees belonging to the genus Abies in the family Pinaceae. There are approximately 48–56 extant species, found on mountains throughout much of North and Central America, Europe, Asia, and North Africa. The genus is most closely related to Cedrus (cedar).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Western white pine</span> Pine tree found in North America

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<i>Thuja plicata</i> Species of conifer

Thuja plicata is a large evergreen coniferous tree in the family Cupressaceae, native to the Pacific Northwest of North America. Its common name is western redcedar in the U.S. or western red cedar in the UK, and it is also called pacific red cedar, giant arborvitae, western arborvitae, just cedar, giant cedar, or shinglewood. It is not a true cedar of the genus Cedrus. T. plicata is the largest species in the genus Thuja, growing up to 70 metres (230 ft) tall and 7 metres (23 ft) in diameter. It mostly grows in areas that experience a mild climate with plentiful rainfall, although it is sometimes present in drier areas on sites where water is available year-round, such as wet valley bottoms and mountain streamsides. The species is shade-tolerant and able to establish in forest understories and is thus considered a climax species. It is a very long-lived tree, with some specimens reaching ages of well over 1,000 years.

<i>Abies alba</i> Species of conifer tree

Abies alba, the European silver fir or silver fir, is a fir native to the mountains of Europe, from the Pyrenees north to Normandy, east to the Alps and the Carpathians, Slovakia, Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Serbia, and south to Italy, Bulgaria, Kosovo, Albania and northern Greece; it is also commonly grown on Christmas tree plantations in the North East region of North America spanning New England in the US to the Maritime provinces of Canada.

<i>Abies grandis</i> Species of conifer tree

Abies grandis is a fir native to the Pacific Northwest and Northern California of North America, occurring at altitudes of sea level to 1,700 metres (5,600 ft). It is a major constituent of the Grand Fir/Douglas Fir Ecoregion of the Cascade Range.

<i>Abies concolor</i> Species of conifer tree

Abies concolor, the white fir, concolor fir, or Colorado fir, is a coniferous tree in the pine family Pinaceae. This tree is native to the mountains of western North America, including the Cascade Range and southern Rocky Mountains, and into the isolated mountain ranges of southern Arizona, New Mexico, and Northern Mexico. It naturally occurs at elevations between 900 and 3,400 metres.

<i>Tsuga heterophylla</i> Species of conifer

Tsuga heterophylla, the western hemlock or western hemlock-spruce, is a species of hemlock native to the west coast of North America, with its northwestern limit on the Kenai Peninsula, Alaska, and its southeastern limit in northern Sonoma County, California. The Latin species name means 'variable leaves'.

<i>Tsuga mertensiana</i> Species of tree found in western North America

Tsuga mertensiana, known as mountain hemlock, is a species of hemlock native to the west coast of North America, found between Southcentral Alaska and south-central California.

<i>Abies magnifica</i> Species of tree found in North America

Abies magnifica, the red fir or silvertip fir, is a western North American fir, native to the mountains of southwest Oregon and California in the United States. It is a high-elevation tree, typically occurring at 1,400–2,700 metres (4,600–8,900 ft) elevation, though only rarely reaching tree line. The name red fir derives from the bark color of old trees.

<i>Abies procera</i> Species of conifer

Abies procera, the noble fir, also called red fir and Christmas tree, is a species of fir native to the Cascade Range and Pacific Coast Ranges of the northwestern Pacific Coast of the United States. It occurs at altitudes of 300–1,500 meters (980–4,920 ft).

<i>Fraxinus latifolia</i> Species of ash

Fraxinus latifolia, the Oregon ash, is a member of the ash genus Fraxinus, native to western North America.

<i>Abies lasiocarpa</i> North American fir tree species

Abies lasiocarpa, the subalpine fir or Rocky Mountain fir, is a western North American fir tree.

<i>Abies mariesii</i> Species of conifer

Abies mariesii is a fir native to the mountains of central and northern Honshū, Japan. It grows at altitudes of 750–1,900 m in northern Honshū, and 1,800–2,900 m in central Honshū, always in temperate rain forest with high rainfall and cool, humid summers, and very heavy winter snowfall.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Western larch</span> Species of conifer

The western larch is a species of larch native to the mountains of western North America ; in Canada in southeastern British Columbia and southwestern Alberta, and in the United States in eastern Washington, eastern Oregon, northern Idaho, and western Montana. It is the most productive of the three species of larch native to North America.

<i>Abies koreana</i> Species of plant (Korean fir)

Abies koreana, the Korean fir, is a species of fir native to the higher mountains of South Korea, including Jeju Island. It grows at altitudes of 1,000–1,900 metres (3,300–6,200 ft) in temperate rainforest with high rainfall and cool, humid summers, and heavy winter snowfall.

<i>Abies veitchii</i> Species of conifer

Abies veitchii, also known as Veitch's silver-fir, is a fir native to Japan on the islands of Honshū and Shikoku. It lives in moist soils in cool wet mountain forests at elevations of 1500–2800 m. It is very shade-tolerant when young, but is not long-lived.

<i>Abies holophylla</i> Species of conifer

Abies holophylla, also called needle fir or Manchurian fir, is a species of fir native to mountainous regions of northern Korea, southern Ussuriland, and China in the provinces of Heilongjiang, Jilin, and Liaoning.

<i>Abies religiosa</i> Species of conifer

Abies religiosa, the oyamel fir or sacred fir, is a fir native to the mountains of central and southern Mexico and western Guatemala. It grows at high elevations of 2,100–4,100 metres (6,900–13,500 ft) in cloud forests with cool, humid summers and dry winters in most of its habitat regime. In the state of Veracruz, it grows with precipitation all year long. The tree is resistant to regular winter snowfalls.

<i>Pseudotsuga menziesii <span style="font-style:normal;">var.</span> menziesii</i> Variety of conifer

Pseudotsuga menziesii var. menziesii, commonly known as Coast Douglas-fir, Pacific Douglas-fir, Oregon pine, or Douglas spruce, is an evergreen conifer native to western North America from west-central British Columbia, Canada southward to central California, United States. In Oregon and Washington its range is continuous from the Cascades crest west to the Pacific Coast Ranges and Pacific Ocean. In California, it is found in the Klamath and California Coast Ranges as far south as the Santa Lucia Mountains with a small stand as far south as the Purisima Hills, Santa Barbara County. In the Sierra Nevada it ranges as far south as the Yosemite region. It occurs from near sea level along the coast to 1,800 metres (5,900 ft) in the California Mountains. Further inland, coast Douglas-fir is replaced by Rocky Mountain or interior Douglas-fir. Interior Douglas-fir intergrades with coast Douglas-fir in the Cascades of northern Washington and southern British Columbia.

References

  1. Farjon, A. (2013). "Abies amabilis". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . 2013: e.T42271A2968657. doi: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2013-1.RLTS.T42271A2968657.en . Retrieved 19 November 2021.
  2. 1 2 3 "Abies amabilis". Gymnosperm Database. 2011. Retrieved December 3, 2021. The epithet amabilis means 'lovely.
  3. "Interactive Distribution Map of Abies amabilis". Archived from the original on 2015-10-23. Retrieved 2010-07-12.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 Arno, Stephen F.; Hammerly, Ramona P. (2020) [1977]. Northwest Trees: Identifying & Understanding the Region's Native Trees (field guide ed.). Seattle: Mountaineers Books. pp. 123–128. ISBN   978-1-68051-329-5. OCLC   1141235469.
  5. "Abies amabilis in Flora of North America @ efloras.org". www.efloras.org.
  6. Crawford, Peggy D.; Oliver, Chadwick Dearing (1990). "Abies amabilis". In Burns, Russell M.; Honkala, Barbara H. (eds.). Conifers. Silvics of North America. Washington, D.C.: United States Forest Service (USFS), United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). Vol. 1. Retrieved 23 April 2023 via Southern Research Station.
  7. "California Buckeye (Aesculus californica) – photo/images/information". GlobalTwitcher.com. November 22, 2012. Archived from the original on 2012-11-22.
  8. 1 2 3 Moerman, Daniel (2020). Native American Ethnobotany (14th ed.). Portland, Oregon: Timber Press, Inc. p. 33. ISBN   9780881924534.